Bento Box article in the New York Times

9 Sep 2009 by maki

There is an article about bento lunches in the Wednesday, September 9th edition of the New York Times, titled What’s for Lunch? Enter the Bento Box, a Touch of Japan, by Samantha Storey. I’m quoted there several times; also quoted are my fellow bento bloggers Pikko of Adventures in Bento, Biggie of Lunch in a Box, and many others - including quite a few Just Bento readers! (It’s up to you to match up the real name with the online presence :)) It’s one of the best mainstream media articles (in Engish) that I’ve seen so far - not just focusing on over-the-top kyaraben, or bentos for little kids, as many seem to do.
(Samantha also blogs about her own bento-ing efforts.)

If you’ve found your way to Just Bento via the NY Times article, welcome! If you are new to bentos, you might want to start with the Bento Basics section. Bento friendly recipes of all types, not just traditional Japanese (though there are plenty of those too) can be found on the sortable recipes list. If you want to look at complete bento examples with step-by-step instructions and timelines, take a look at the bento lists. Want a way to ease into the bento habit? Try the Get Started Handbook, or follow the Get Started Bento Challenge program. You’ll find a lot more useful links on the left of this page. Last but not least, you may want to join our community of bento enthusiasts by joining our great forum, or our flickr pool.

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Congratulations! I'm only just now exploring Bento for my two children and am thrilled to see the article. My daughter watched the slideshow at my side, clapping with glee. Her "Bento joy" (mostly) made up for the fact that she woke up 45 minutes early this morning! Then again, she's got time to *help* me make her lunch now...

I was so delighted to see the Times cover bento - I've felt like it's become more and more mainstream recently, especially since my co-worker got a set for her pre-teen daughter who was, at first, reluctant to try it out until they went to Daiso. Anyway, great interview, Maki!
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I loved reading the article and just had to visit your website. WOW! I was in Japan last year visiting my son, and I remember how wonderful the bento box lunches were that we picked up at the train stations when we were traveling by rail. I am excited about making some of your recipes. Thank you.

i'm so glad the Times directed me toward this site! i'm a longtime lover of the artistry of japanese food, so the "it-looks-good-so-it-tastes-better" philosophy is not lost on me. i hope this will light a fire under my motivation to cook. looking forward to reading!

I used to LOVE getting bento boxes for lunch at the Japanese restaurant near where I used to work in Manhattan. I never thought about making my own bento, though. What a great idea! This NYT article was a real eye-opener for me -- I'm already shopping for bento supplies. I already take fruits and veggies to work for lunch, but never thought about dressing them up so nicely. So you have a new convert to the world of obento!

Congrats on your mentions in the NY Times article. It was evidently on the list of one of the most emailed articles of the day, too--so you probably got some great exposure! I love that bento is getting more and more popular--healtier eating & waste-free lunchboxes are great ways to head our lunch habits in the right direction. Thanks for all your great input!

this article is a great resource! i think with the economic climate being what it is, it's important to make saving money fun. and the truth is, if you make your own food, it tastes better, it's healthier, and you save money. and with bento, it looks better as well! so, all you really have to do is put in the time. paying for convenience doesn't seem like that attractive an option after you look at these lovely bentos! do you think you could do a series on getting started with bento? maybe easy ways to start your bento lunches? I'm a beginner. :o)